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Careers in Science Seminar Kicks Off
The first installment in the Careers in Science Seminar series, sponsored by the National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research, will be held Monday, June 11 at 12 p.m. in the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research auditorium, building 549.
Speaker Mark Cosentino, PhD, DPM, is the project manager who oversees the FNLCR’s Central Repository and heads the BioProcessing Laboratory that processes specimens for various clinical trials. His presentation, titled “Careers in Biobanking,” is intended to highlight a central theme of the seminar seriesthat many possibilities exist for pursuing “non-traditional” scientific positions, apart from a career in bench research.
“Such positions might include science writers, program administrators, regulatory affairs specialists, grants administrators, and biotech entrepreneursall of which are important components within our existing research missions,” Cosentino said. “Bench scientists are critical, but we also must have the necessary expertise in the ancillary positions to complement and support the bench scientists."
During the seminar, Cosentino will draw from his career and personal experiences to discuss the relatively new field of biobanking. A biobank is a repository that stores human biological samples for use in research. Since the late 1990s, biobanks have become a key resource for supporting many types of contemporary scientific research.
Seminar attendees can expect to hear about the following topics:
Historical perspective of biobanking
Biobanking "Best Practices," how and why they were established, and how they can be improved
Types of jobs/positions currently associated with biobanking
Technician certification program offered by International Society of Biological and Environmental Repositories
Discussion of integrated scientific research and product development critical to the future of biobanking
Proposed plans for establishing a Biobank Research Center at FNLCR and a graduate program in Biobanking Science with a major Maryland university
Future careers in biobanking